Misconceptions Of Time
by spacepup
Summary: Kara had read the legends, but Morgana was nothing like she had imagined from the various depictions. The sorceress was so much more than her stories. Merlin X-Over
1. New Arrival

"Merlin, go fetch some more wood. Do be quick about it. I don't want to freeze to death, Merlin." The aforementioned boy huffed as he picked up another batch of kindling. "A simple 'please and thank you' would have been appreciated," he continually muttered before dropping his gatherings onto the small, two-wheeled wagon he had brought along to carry the load.

Hands on his hips, Merlin lets out a satisfied breath at his collection. "Right. This should be enough." Pleased with his work, the boy turned and headed towards a nearby pond to freshen up before returning to the city.

Squatting by the edge, Merlin began to wash his hands underneath the water's surface when he felt a disturbance. He glanced upwards when the air seemed to vibrate and a distortion began to form right before his eyes. Merlin promptly stood up and moved back in caution. No sooner had he done so than a body abruptly materialized in an eruption of flames to his disbelief. Startled, the warlock falls backward from both the sudden force and blast of heat.

Merlin's eyes widened at the random sight as the body – miraculously not burnt to a charcoal – dropped into the pond below and splashed the bewildered boy. The flames disappear just as rapidly.

The cold water breaks the warlock out of his stupor causing him to burst into action. Jumping in, Merlin quickly dove to rescue the person currently sinking into the water's depths. Struggling a few times, he manages to bring them both to the pond's edge before dragging the stranger up onto land. He lets himself fall backwards and lays side-by-side with the other person. After catching his breath, Merlin turns to see the steady rise and fall of a chest. Relieved, he shifts onto his side before moving a hand to push the mystery guest's hair back to discover a pretty, blonde girl.

"Oh boy," Merlin muttered as he tried to figure out his next course of action.

The fact that the girl wore the strangest of clothes didn't help matters at all. Taking a glance at his surroundings, Merlin confirmed there were no witnesses to this unusual display of magic before performing a quick spell to dry the both of them. Afterwards, he eyed the wagon he thankfully brought along for this errand.

"Off we go then," Merlin muttered before rushing over with the unconscious blonde in his arms. He tried desperately not to trip over her red flapping cape in his haste; he stumbles but only twice. Reaching his destination, Merlin searched the wagon to find a large cloth, which he used to hide the girl from any wandering eyes.

The next step was to bring the girl to Gaius without anyone noticing Camelot's newest guest.

"Nothing to it," the warlock muttered before beginning his trek back to the city.

* * *

"Gaius!" Merlin called out as he nudges the door open with a leg. He rushes in to drop the blonde atop the nearby cot Gaius usually slept on. It wasn't easy getting her up those stairs to the court physician's office without anyone noticing sleeping beauty in his arms.

He promptly returns to the entranceway in order to shut and lock the door. He couldn't risk the appearance of another unexpected guest with the one he had at the moment. "Gaius!" Merlin shouts once more.

Finally, the aforementioned man appears from the back room only to be startled by the unforeseen patient brought in by Merlin. Gaius promptly hovers over the girl, categorizing the various wounds present to his eyes. At the moment, the old man opted to ignore the blonde's strange attire as her injuries took greater precedence.

"Where on earth have you found this poor girl?" Gaius asked as he picked up a hand to study the bruises and torn skin across the blonde's knuckles.

"She literally appeared out of thin air and dropped right in front of me!" Merlin exclaims as he moved to stand by the old physician. "What do you think happened to her?" the boy questioned.

"Well, she was obviously in a fight," Gaius answers while pressing around the blonde's ribs. Before the physician could further comment, they were interrupted by a shout of 'Merlin!' from outside.

Both Gaius and the boy halted in their movements. The silence only lasted a second before there was a rattle of the outside ring pull followed by a banging at the door. "Merlin! Why is the door locked?"

In a flurry of movements, Gaius moved to open another door while Merlin promptly gathered their guest into his arms.

"Take her to your room," the old man hastily instructed as he ushered the boy into the office's one bedroom.

The shouts continued as the two tried to hurry along with their actions. "I can hear your footsteps, Merlin! Don't think you can ignore me!"

Once the blonde is relocated to a safer location, Gaius places a hand on Merlin's arm to grab his attention. "I'll take care of the girl. You take care of Arthur," he offers before returning to his newest patient.

With a nod, Merlin rushes to attend the persistent prince. "I'm coming!" he shouts as he exits his bedroom and heads towards the locked door. With a final look at the physician, Merlin watches as Gaius closes the door before he opened his own.

"Hello," the warlock casually greets after Arthur is revealed at the entrance standing with crossed arms.

"Where have you been?" the prince questions.

"Oh," Merlin began as he scratched at the back of his head. "I just got back from gathering the firewood you had asked for," he answers nonchalantly.

"And why was the door locked?" Arthur continues with his inquiry.

"I like the privacy," Merlin quickly retorts.

Arthur simply raises an eyebrow at the response before shaking his head. "Whatever. I still need you to polish my armor, wash my leathers," he begins before heading off with Merlin swiftly following a few steps behind him.

* * *

"How is she?" Merlin immediately asks once he returned from completing Arthur's mind-numbing chores.

Gaius only sighs before standing up from his workbench to walk towards the boy. "I've done what I could without managing to successfully undress the girl."

"You tried to undress her?" Merlin chokes out in surprise.

"Of course, I did," Gaius casually answers. "Unfortunately, all I could figure out was how to take her boots off."

Merlin is momentarily speechless before he regains his voice. "Why?"

"So I can inspect her for any further injuries that might have been hidden underneath them," Gaius explains with a slight roll of his eyes. "Honestly, Merlin," the physician continues with a quick rap to Merlin's forehead with his knuckles. "What kind of person do you think I am?"

Merlin flusters at the small reprimand, muttering a soft 'ow' before rubbing at the slight sore spot on his forehead. Hesitating on his next words, the warlock wisely decided to head over to his room. Cracking the door open, Merlin takes a peek at the blonde that lay inside. "Do you think she'll wake up any time soon?" he questions curiously.

"Possibly. Her injuries weren't too severe," Gaius responds as he began moving around some jars and ingredients. "I've already applied some cream to aid in her healing."

A silence descends upon the room before Merlin decides on his next inquiry. "Do you think she might be magical?" he hesitates for a moment, "Like me?"

"Because she 'appeared out of thin air' as you described earlier?" the physician questions.

"That must imply some sort of magical abilities," Merlin argued.

"Or that someone sent her here," Gaius countered. Merlin's eyebrows furrowed at the suggestion. "You must be careful, Merlin. She might not be a friend," the old man reasoned.

* * *

A couple days had passed and their mysterious guest has yet to awaken from her slumber. She wasn't in any dire condition, at least not any noticeable ones. All her injuries had long since healed from the day Merlin found her. Still, the girl had neither stirred nor mumbled; no indication that would have eased their worries. The blonde could have easily been mistaken as one deep in her sleep.

"Why hasn't she woken up yet?" Merlin asks with concern in his voice.

"There doesn't appear to be anything wrong with her," Gaius pauses as he measured the girl's pulse, "It could possibly be her body is still recuperating from whatever has happened to her."

"She's been asleep for days, Gaius," Merlin almost shouts in frustration. He didn't want to miss a chance to connect with someone who was possibly similar to him, magical in nature.

Gaius sighs before turning in his seat to look at the young warlock that had begun pacing the bedroom. "Merlin, I cannot give you the answers I do not have," he explained before returning to check up on the girl. "However," Gaius pauses for a moment, "I can tell you one thing for certain."

The warlock almost stumbles when he quickly turns to face Gaius. "What is it?"

"She's not from around here," Gaius reveals, much to the boy's displeasure.

"I could have told you that," Merlin groans with slight annoyance before resuming with his pacing of the room. However, he abruptly stops at a sudden thought. "Could," the boy momentarily hesitates, "Could the cause be something magical?"

Realizing Merlin's train of thought, Gaius immediately stands up, almost knocking his stool back from the force. "You are not using magic to wake her up!"

"We can't keep hiding her away!" Merlin retorts with a hand thrown out for emphasis. "Someone's bound to notice her sooner or later."

Gaius could only sigh at the boy's stubbornness. It was obvious Merlin had grown somewhat attached to the girl. "First give her a day or two," the old man reluctantly bargained.

"Fine," Merlin agreed before leaving to return by Arthur's side.

* * *

 _Kara Zor-El_

Within an instant, the blonde lets out a gasp as she awakens from the call of her name. The day had begun anew.

 **[End of Chapter]**

* * *

 **A/N** : Yeah, there's not much Kara interaction in this chapter. Don't worry! You'll get that by the next chapter. Later on, the cause of Kara's arrival will be discovered in future chapters.


	2. First Impressions I

_Previously: Kara appears in a literal blaze just outside of Camelot. Luckily, Merlin is the only witness to her unexpected arrival. Days pass yet Kara remains in a slumber. While Merlin frets, Gaius cautions against her mysterious circumstances._

* * *

Merlin wrinkled his nose at the slight itch there before drifting back to sleep. He only manages a bit of rest until the annoyance returns with a vengeance. Rolling onto his side, Merlin lets out a small yawn as he rubs at his nose. With bleary eyes, the boy takes a mindless glimpse of the room.

Abruptly, he jerks backwards in surprise.

Scrambling to stand, the warlock only succeeded with getting tangled up in his blanket before subsequently falling off the cot in his haste. He fumbles around twice more until finally rising from the office floor. "You're awake!" Merlin exclaims once he'd gotten ahold of his bearings.

Over by the bedroom door, a blonde girl stood in the open entryway atop the few steps. Somewhat hunched, she steadies herself with a hand held tight against the doorframe. Merlin easily notices the slight heaviness of her breaths before she straightened and focused her attention on him.

Amongst the room's furnishings and decors, the blonde easily stood out like a sore thumb. Her sleek textured outfit consisted of a long sleeved top and a short skirt – the length of it almost caused a rising blush within Merlin. Luckily, there was a sheer material that covered her legs; although they didn't quite accomplish in hiding much.

Any morning light that filtered into the room seemed drawn to the girl's immediate vicinity, highlighting her features and drawing one's attention. Altogether, this stranger presented an otherworldly appearance.

Still, the symbol across her chest and the cape that flowed down her back were reminiscent to Camelot's knights. Merlin quickly shook his head at that thought. There were no female knights. Of that, he was sure.

Dusting himself, Merlin took a few steps towards the obviously disoriented blonde. "Hello," the warlock offers with, hopefully, a reassuring smile. Inwardly, he shoved down the rising plethora of questions regarding his newly awakened guest. Now was obviously not the time for that.

Meanwhile, the girl simply hesitates where she stood at the top of the steps. The unfamiliarity of essentially everything since she awakened had only deepened her confusion. Merlin's presence certainly didn't ease the worries. She doesn't get much further with her concerns before an interruption startles the both of them.

"Goodness, Merlin. What was all that racket?" Gaius complains of Merlin's earlier tussle before sitting up on his cot. The old man takes a moment to straighten himself, popping out any lingering kinks. Next, he rolled his shoulders back one by one. His body wasn't like it used to be when he was younger.

Perplexed, the blonde only furrowed her brow at the casual mention of a well-known name.

"Gaius," Merlin calls to grab the aforementioned man's attention. Halting with his morning rituals, the physician turns to face his young charge only to jerk backwards. Rising thereafter, Gaius gapes slightly at the unexpected presence of their once slumbering guest.

"You're awake," the old man utters, mirroring a certain someone's previous words.

"Merlin!" Gaius immediately admonishes the boy before making his way over. "You should have woken me the moment she'd gotten up," he continues.

"What?" Merlin mutters, flabbergasted. "I just," he began only to be pushed aside as Gaius approaches the quiet blonde.

Merlin scrunches his face in small displeasure at the accusation and subsequent dismissal. With an eye still on their guest, he doesn't miss the slight upward twitch at the corners of her mouth.

"Well, I'm glad someone finds this amusing," the boy softly remarks with a mock glare.

* * *

Gaius finishes the last of his examination as Kara sits upon the only bed. Everyone had since relocated to what was once Merlin's room. Satisfied with the results, the old man relaxes his posture on the stool before taking notice of the garnered interest from his recovering patient. He promptly answers her unasked questions.

"My name is Gaius. I'm the court physician," he explained before gesturing behind towards his young charge, "Merlin found you just outside of Camelot. Since then I've been taking care of your injuries and monitoring your health."

"I've helped," Merlin adds, suggesting a larger part to his role.

Kara's mind simply whirls at the introduction, especially at particular words such as 'Merlin' and 'Camelot'. Understandably, she began questioning the reality of her situation. The blonde thought back to what had led to this moment; there was a brief recollection of an explosion followed by a relentless heat that engulfed her entire being.

Abruptly, phantom flames roar unbidden across her body in her remembrance.

Startled, Kara sucks in a deep breath as she tried not to shudder at the brief ache before refocusing on the here and now. Glancing around the room, she immediately notices the two expectant faces.

Detecting the girl's confusion, Gaius clears his throat to draw her attention before repeating his earlier question. "Would you mind telling us your name?" Behind him, Merlin stood taller in attention.

Kara blinked owlishly as if stunned by the inquiry. The blonde was unaccustomed to the anonymity of being unknown while in costume; her hero persona was usually recognizable upon first glance. A rising panic began to set in before she manages to shove the feeling down. It probably wasn't wise to suddenly hyperventilate in front of her apparent rescuers.

The blonde takes a calming breath before responding to Gaius's earlier question. "Kara," she answers with some hesitance. There was a slight pause before she stated more firmly, "My name is Kara." A first name surely couldn't do much harm. After all, she couldn't exactly introduce herself as Supergirl. Kara could only hope she had a common enough name.

Taking a few steps forward, Merlin stands beside Gaius before welcoming their newly identified guest. "Well, it's nice to finally meet you, Kara," he greets with a smile.

"Thank you," the blonde says before clarifying, "For finding me."

Gaius, ever curious, continues with his inquiry. "Do you remember what happened to you?"

"I," Kara begins as she furrowed her brow in concentration. All she could recall were brief flashes of a roaring blaze intermittent with a vast darkness.

"I'm not sure," the blonde admits after some hesitation. Unexpectedly, a sharp pain momentarily flares from inside her head prompting a rather noticeable wince from the girl.

"I'd gathered there might have been some memory loss. There was a rather sizeable bump at the back of your head," Gaius discloses after Kara's admission.

Standing, the physician begins collecting his medical equipments as he vocalized a few advices. He suggests a bath and some change of clothes before appeasing her, no doubt, present hunger.

Kara briefly wondered whether they had enough food to satisfy her usually large appetite.

Approaching the door, Gaius stops to give one final instruction. "Do be careful to not stress your body. You've just healed," he cautions his patient. "If you experience any more pains, then let me know. I'll brew you a tonic to help with the aches."

Kara simply nods in acknowledgement as she pondered her next course of action.

The day couldn't possibly get any worse.

* * *

"Do all people dress as you do, where you come from?" Merlin asked as he entered the bedroom. Reaching his destination, the boy sets one bucket down before holding up the other. "It's pretty obvious you're not from around here," he comments with a nod towards the girl's attire.

Kara watched as Merlin began to fill the tub once more. Already, this was the fourth trip. It was interesting at first, but the novelty wore off once she learned the necessary steps taken to prepare a bath. Not to mention, the guilt that had arise when Merlin offered his services. Kara had declined, of course, but the boy wouldn't accept her refusal. The warlock simply left without hearing another word, carrying buckets to and fro as well as heating the water for her comfort.

The silence drags causing Merlin to glance at the blonde once more. Noticing the curious gaze, Kara quickly shook herself of distracting thoughts and refocused on the question at hand.

"Just my family," she replies, considering her cousin, Kal-El, had a super suit of his own. Kara didn't see the harm in answering the question.

"It suits you," Merlin admits after a moment. He sets aside the empty bucket before lifting the other still brimming with water. "But I don't think the rest of Camelot would appreciate such fashion." The warlock chuckles a little when he sees the blonde reflexively pull down on her skirt.

Kara felt the small blush rising in her cheeks. She was a bit rusty with Earth's history, but even she knew that her skirt was probably not appropriate during this time period. Or, at least, what she could deduce from what appears to be an unintended trip to the past.

"I have some spare clothes," Merlin offers, breaking Kara out of her embarrassment. He drops his bucket once done before moving to open a small cabinet. "I hope you don't mind," Merlin continues while pulling out a fresh set of clothing. They were identical to what he currently wore but in another color. A simple apparel that consists of a basic blue, long sleeved shirt and black pants completed with a brown belt.

"It's fine," Kara simply says. She curiously eyed the shirt. Alex always said she looked best in blue.

With his tasks fulfilled, Merlin quickly picked up the dropped buckets and jerked a thumb towards the door. "I'll just be joining Gaius now in preparing breakfast," he begins as he heads for the exit. "Take your time and come out whenever you're ready."

Kara simply nods her understanding and Merlin closes the door to give her privacy. Turning to face the warm bath, she couldn't help but let out a soft 'oh Rao'.

* * *

"So," Merlin begins as he strolled up to the physician, "What do you think of Kara?"

Gaius barely glances at the boy as he continues with preparations for breakfast; an amount enough for three people instead of the usual two. "She appears to be a pleasant girl," he relents.

Before Merlin could voice anything else, Gaius continues with his assessment. "However, we still know next to nothing about her except for her name." The girl was a mystery he was curious to solve, especially for the protection of Merlin. His young charge was ready to throw caution to the wind at the off chance of befriending a fellow magic practitioner his own age.

Nonetheless, Gaius knew better with age and experience. They needed to proceed with caution. The girl's clothing and strange accent weren't discernible to any place of his knowledge. "Although the cut and quality of her clothes are quite remarkable," he unintendedly reflects out loud.

"Kara mentioned only her family dresses like her," Merlin commented as he grabbed additional ingredients from a neighboring table. Returning to Gaius's side, the warlock joined in on the preparations. "The symbol on her chest might be her family's crest," he suggests after a pause.

Gaius's brow furrowed in thought. "I don't recall seeing a family crest such as hers," the old man remarked, mentally noting to research the emblem. Later, he would consult with the family lineage book, _Ancient Families of Britain_ , to confirm Merlin's speculation.

After a moment, the physician gives Merlin a calculating look. "I caution you to be careful around her," he warns. For added emphasis, Gaius stopped to fully face the boy. "Especially should she be of noble blood," he adds with a pointed look.

Merlin may be smart, but Gaius knows that the boy craves companionship with those his own nature. However, these are dangerous times indeed for ones with magic or suspected of such.

"Don't reveal your powers," the old man reminds. Kara may be a hidden danger. Or, perhaps not.

Merlin simply grumbles out his reluctant agreement.

* * *

Sat inside the brimming tub, Kara's brows furrowed in concentration as she attempted to utilize her x-ray vision. Seconds pass before a familiar crinkle appears as she doubled her efforts. Ultimately, the endeavor proved useless as her sight doesn't extend beyond the door in front of her.

Taking a deep breath, Kara calmed her nerves before refocusing on another of her abilities. "You can do this," she mutters as self-encouragement. The attempt passes without much change, no matter how hard her determination. Aside from the occasional muffled voices and ambient noises, Kara couldn't hear any other sounds outside the room.

Solar flare, she thought.

Letting out a frustrated breath, the blonde reluctantly stopped before she strained herself trying to access her super powers. Sitting in silence, Kara shifts to hugs her knees causing the water to momentarily slosh within the tub.

Alex wasn't here. Neither was Winn, James, or anyone from the DEO.

She needed to make the best of her situation.

* * *

"Breakfast is ready," Gaius declares as he happily picks up his sandwich.

Unfortunately, he's interrupted when someone enters the office. One of the townspeople had fallen ill and Gaius's services were being requested at once. The physician stares almost forlornly at his sandwich. He casts a glance at his young charge before getting up. "Don't eat my sandwich," he instructs before gathering his medical supplies and leaving with the visitor.

Still seated, Merlin only chuckles at Gaius's misfortunes. His laughter cuts short at the appearance of Kara lingering about the various workbenches; she had previously slipped into the room unnoticed by all. Standing up, the warlock crosses the room to join her.

"I see you've noticed Gaius's things," Merlin comments at the girl's curiosity.

Startled, Kara jumps slightly at the voice. She wasn't used to being caught unaware, super hearing and all that.

"He wouldn't mind if you borrowed a book or two," Merlin adds for her benefit. The boy had obviously caught her lingering glances at a couple of the titles laid opened across the tables.

Shortly after, the two returned to the small dining table, where Gaius had set up their meals.

Breakfast was a quiet affair. Kara didn't have much to say, and Merlin kept quiet trying to adhere to the physician's warnings. It wasn't long until the two finished their meals and stood to clear up the dining table.

Soon Kara is left to her own devices after Merlin informs her of his morning duties. The warlock had bid her farewell with promises of entertaining her at a later time. Sat on a stool, the blonde glances about the room in curiosity.

Perhaps, she would read a book or two as Merlin suggested earlier.

* * *

Upon return, Merlin kept to his word. He watched as Kara continued to turn about in a circle, endeavoring to glimpse every single thing during their stroll through the lower town of Camelot.

Earlier, the warlock had resolved to ease Kara's anxieties. He'd taken notice of the girl's slight discomfort at her new, unfamiliar surroundings. Merlin could scarcely imagine the events, which contributed to her rather abrupt arrival outside of Camelot. He briefly touched his face, remembering quite clearly the eruption of flames that almost singed off his eyebrows.

Merlin's efforts led to the blonde getting acquainted with the city. He figured it couldn't hurt for Kara to stretch her legs instead of staying confined within the court physician's office. The situation would have been unbearable if the same were to befall him.

Relieved, Kara was grateful for the suggestion and her mouth had fallen slightly agape ever since they've left the office. It became quite obvious she was amazed by all the sights and sounds, completely absorbed in the busy atmosphere.

The warlock smiled in amusement from Kara's strange fascination at the daily ongoings of the townspeople. He surmised that the girl must not have gone out often, which was evident by her somewhat over-the-top reactions. No one ever showed that much interest concerning the marketplace, not unless they led a very sheltered life.

"You act as if you've never seen such things before," Merlin comments in mirth.

Kara stumbled slightly on her next step once she realizes the strangeness of her actions. Hastily, the blonde tried to remedy her error with an appropriate response for this time period.

"Well, I," she began as nothing in particular comes to mind. Per usual, the blonde reaches to adjust a pair of nonexistent glasses. Catching her blunder, Kara's hand momentarily hangs in the air before she awkwardly shifts to instead push back some loose hair strands. "There's always something new," she weakly finishes with a slight shrug.

Mentally wincing at the lame reply, Kara's attention abruptly shifts at the flash of a brilliant white within her peripheral. Close by, a rather portly fellow is leading an alabaster horse by the reins to the nearby stables. Her breath catches at the sight of the creature before she automatically detours towards the new destination. A faint joyful utterance of the word 'horses' could be heard lightly in the air.

Merlin only chuckles at the cause for Kara's sudden distraction. Her interest was so easily captured by such simple things. With a smile, he jogs after the fascinated girl.

Inside, the stablehand remains quite oblivious to Kara's nearby presence and gaze. He continues to brush the horse's coat in short, even strokes. Without prompt, the warlock clears his throat and gains the attention of the stable's other two occupants.

"Merlin!" the stablehand greets enthusiastically. He takes a few steps towards the other boy, brush still in hand, with a smile present on his face. "Does Arthur need his horse?"

Kara manages to not choke at the casual mention of that noteworthy name.

"Not at the moment," Merlin replies as he approached his friend. "Tyr, this is Kara," he motions to the blonde now beside himself, "She's a new friend that's come to visit." The warlock casts a wide grin at the girl. "And she apparently likes horses."

Kara blushes lightly when she realizes that she had unknowingly left his guidance in her pursuit. She mouths a 'sorry' at Merlin before turning towards the other boy. "Hello," she greets with a friendly wave and smile.

Tyr seems puzzled by Kara's apparel but quickly shakes it off. He returns the greeting in kind before adding, "It's kind of hard not to like horses." Placing the brush atop some bale of hay, he begins to motion towards the recently groomed alabaster horse. "Would you like to pet her?" he asked.

Kara manages to repress her urge to squeal at the suggestion. "May I?" she questions. The blonde had immediately looked towards Tyr with some caution, almost frightened that he'll rescind the offer.

"Any friend of Merlin is a friend of mine," Tyr genuinely replies.

Breaking into a grin, Kara bounces on the balls of her feet in excitement as she eagerly listened to the Tyr's instructions. "You'll want to approach her from an angle to avoid her blind spot," he informs the girl.

Once all is said and done, Kara brings up her right hand to run through the horse's mane. "I've never been this close before," the blonde admits.

Tyr simply coos at the horse with multiple whispers of 'good girl' before patting the mare from between the shoulders. "Her name is Argo," he happily introduces the steed.

Kara staggers in her movements, stunned by the revelation. Her sudden hesitation doesn't go unnoticed by the portly boy. "Is something wrong?" Tyr asks concerned. Kara simply lets out a shaky breath before resuming with her previous motions. "It's a beautiful name," was her only answer.

Believing nothing to be amiss, Tyr heads towards the stall divider to grab the small sack hanging off it. He loosens the rope that tied around the woven bag before reaching inside. "Argo usually gets a treat after I groom her," Tyr begins as he returns to Kara's side. Pulling out a carrot, the stablehand holds up the item towards the girl. "Would you like to do the honors?"

Halting with her movements, Kara faces Tyr with all the seriousness she could muster upon her face. "I would happily," the girl replies without hesitation as if there were no other possible answer. Accepting the carrot, she returns her attention to the horse and continues to shower Argo with affection as she offers her the treat. The blonde almost pouts once Argo finishes the little snack.

Before long, Kara catches the amused expression on Merlin's face. She blushes lightly at the warlock's bemused look. "I love animals," she weakly defends her actions. Earth had such a wide variety, especially when compared to Krypton's own more limited and usually dangerous creatures.

"I'm not judging," Merlin responds with a smirk.

"You could visit any time, you know," Tyr offers with a comforting smile. Kara immediately whirls to face the portly boy, almost shouting her question of 'really?!'. He simply straightens himself before proudly stating, "I am the stablehand to the king and knights of Camelot."

Squealing in her excitement, Kara gives Tyr a bear hug as she profusely thanked him multiple times.

"It's uhh," Tyr momentarily stumbles with his sentence, "It's no problem." Aside from his mother, girls didn't usually hug him and never so enthusiastically.

Merlin nearly guffaws at the stablehand's stunned self. Instead, he merely chuckles at Kara's excitement and Tyr's subsequent blush from the blonde girl's actions.

Oblivious to Tyr's embarrassment, Kara returns to pet the alabaster horse, who is quickly becoming her favorite amongst the rest. So blissful was she that the abrupt loud rumblings of her stomach had startled even herself.

Bewildered, the two boys stared unabashedly at Kara; they were surprised that such a sound could originate from the girl before them. Her subsequent blush causes resounding chuckles from the other two at her predicament.

"I suppose it's time for lunch," Merlin declares before the two bids Tyr farewell and leaves the royal stables.

* * *

Their walk isn't particularly long as Merlin leads Kara to another part of lower town. It's there that the warlock brings them to The Rising Sun."I hope you enjoy the food Camelot has to offer you," Merlin remarks as he showed Kara inside the local tavern.

The two maneuver around the small crowd as they sought for nearby open seats. Merlin continues to converse with the girl, recommending his favorites in the pub. Kara listens intently to all the options, nodding along with his commentaries.

They don't notice the odd looks and lingering stares Kara had acquired since their entrance. The pretty blonde had attracted quite a small audience within the tavern. In fact, it didn't register with them until someone abruptly speaks out and interrupts the two.

"It's such a shame a pretty, young thing such as yourself is dressed like that."

Kara scrunched her nose in distaste at the nearby man leering unabashedly at her. Merlin quickly motions the blonde to follow him. "We can sit over there," he advises with a nod towards two open seats at the other end of the establishment.

The man promptly grabs a hold of Kara's arm before she could leave his immediate vicinity. "Hey now, why won't you sit with me and leave the boy," he suggests to the girl's discomfort.

Kara attempts to pull her arm away, but she finds the action more difficult without her usual super strength.

"We don't want any trouble," Merlin interrupts as he advanced near the two.

* * *

Meanwhile, Arthur had approached Gaius to discuss the whereabouts of his servant. "He's at the tavern again, isn't he?"

Hesitant, Gaius smiles nervously. "I couldn't say."

Arthur merely scoffs at the reply before walking off. "I don't know why I haven't fired him yet," the prince mutters.

Gaius simply shrugs before returning to his belated breakfast.

* * *

"I'm sorry I'm late, my lady," Gwen hastily apologized as she rushed into the chambers. Her daily excursion into lower town had taken longer than usual. Gripping the serving tray, Gwen straightened herself as she awaited her orders.

Sat by a desk, Morgana simply glances up from the open book in her hands. "No worries. I can manage without you," she jests with a reassuring smile. Leaning back against her seat, Morgana motions a hand over her own attire – the riding apparel long since exchanged for her usual dresses. "Switching outfits isn't exactly a chore, you know," she continues with mirth.

Relieved, Gwen smiles back with ease. Her grip on the serving tray loosens as the tension released from her shoulders. Morgana wasn't like most highborn, but everyone had their roles in life. Without prompting, the maid heads towards the small dining table to begin readying the midday meal.

"How was your ride out in the woods?" Gwen questioned, curious about the spontaneous trip. She sets down her tray before rearranging the table's fruit bowl and candleholders to make room for the food.

Morgana closed her book as she thought about the impulsive excursion. "Refreshing," she admits with a hint of a smile.

"That's good," Gwen commented as she begins placing the variety of dishes prepared especially for her lady.

"Argo seemed to enjoy it as well since I haven't taken her out in a while," Morgana continues with a finger tapping at the spine of her book. She silently contemplates her schedule for the next few days. "I'm thinking of doing this again."

"Tomorrow?" Gwen inquires to plan tomorrow's activities accordingly.

"No," Morgana answers before biting her bottom lip in thought. "Maybe in a couple of days. I have other matters to attend to first," she finishes after a slight pause.

Setting down her book, Morgana rises from her seat before switching the conversation to another matter. "What about you, Gwen?" the girl questions as she approached the small dining table. "Did anything in particular happen? You're usually so punctual," Morgana takes a moment to grin, "It must have been something if it took you so long to return." Unlike most of Camelot's nobilities, the King's ward actually took an interest in her servants' lives outside of their duties.

Gwen only shakes her head at what Morgana was trying to insinuate about her unintended absence. "There was a bit of a crowd in the marketplace this afternoon," she answers as she walked around Morgana who had begun to take a seat. Grabbing two more dishes, the maid continues with the rest of her explanation. "And the new gossip spreading around certainly didn't help matters."

"Oh?" Morgana remarks, obviously intrigued. "Who doesn't like a little gossip?" the girl adds with a raised eyebrow.

Gwen simply rolls her eyes at the little tease. "Apparently, there was some incident involving a girl at the local tavern," she reveals nonchalantly.

"Incident?" Morgana repeats the word before asking for clarification, "What kind of incident?"

"I spend my time far more wisely than chasing after idle gossip," the maid quips before returning to her duties.

Morgana only rolls her eyes in exasperation before sending a mock glare. She continues to stare pointedly at Gwen, who purposely avoids her gaze. It took but a few seconds before her maid finally relents to the unspoken insistence.

"She supposedly fought with some man," Gwen pauses to place the final dish in front of Morgana, "And won."

"Sounds like my kind of girl," Morgana simply declares with a smirk before reaching for a spoon and taking the first bite of her meal.

* * *

Gaius smiled as he patiently waited until Kara entered her bedroom and shut the door. Immediately after, he whirls about and proceeds to slap Merlin at the back of the head. "You dummy! Why'd you give her your clothes?"

"Ow!" Merlin reactively shouts as his head jerked forward from the force. "You're the one who told me to get her a change of clothes," Merlin swiftly retorts.

"Women's clothing, Merlin," Gaius stressed before explaining, "Clothing that is appropriate for her."

"I don't have that kind of clothes," Merlin states rather dumbly.

Gaius only rolls his eyes before giving the warlock another good whack. "You could have went out and gotten her some."

"Ow!" Lightly pouting, Merlin rubs at the back of his head. "I didn't think it'd be such a big deal," he mutters.

"The last thing we need is people paying closer attention to her because of the way she's dressed," Gaius admonishes once more.

Merlin unintentionally winces at that statement and, to his misfortune, the physician took immediate notice of the reaction.

"What did you do?" the old man promptly questioned.

"Me? I didn't do anything," Merlin scoffs at the accusation.

Unamused, Gaius simply stares with a rather pointed look at the boy. He continued to do so until Merlin felt pressured enough by it. "Kara might have brought a man down to his knees."

"Might have?" Gaius almost shouts incredulously.

"Definitely have," Merlin admits after some silence. "But that was only because he wouldn't let go of her!" the boy reveals to justify Kara's actions.

Gaius simply brought a hand up to rub at his temple before taking a deep breath. The troubles youths get into these days. Briefly, he wondered about the disturbances the two will probably cause in the future. Gaius sighs to himself before deciding to drop the subject. "You should return to Arthur's side before he begins another search."

Merlin mentally winced as he tentatively asked, "You didn't tell him I was at the tavern again, did you?"

"Technically, you were," answered Gaius.

The warlock's only response was to groan rather loudly as he left the room. The physician only chuckles at Merlin's predicament.

Before long, the squeaking of an opened door signifies Kara's return. Gaius promptly addresses the girl as she walked down the few steps outside her bedroom. "Merlin should be able to get you more appropriate clothing by the end of the day," the old man informs her.

"I don't mind," Kara responds with a shrug about her current outfit. She approaches the closest workbench to eye the various books and instruments strew across its surface. "They're comfortable," she remarks before heading to the next table.

The blonde picks up one of many herbs for a closer inspection. "Rosemary," she mutters absentmindedly before returning the plant to its original spot.

Nearby, Gaius watched as Kara easily identified a few of the herbs within her reach. His curiosity peaked, the physician was quick to join the girl by her spot. "Do you have an interest in the healing arts?" he questioned.

Startled, the blonde jumps at the old man's unexpected appearance by her side. Kara suddenly felt like she was caught with her hand in the cookie jar. In this case, it was a small bundle of herbs currently in her grasp.

"Oh, I," she utters before hastily dropping the herbs as if scorched by them. Luckily, they fell back unharmed onto the table's surface. Lowering her gaze, the blonde began nervously wringing her hands. "Merlin said I could read your books," Kara confesses, unsure whether she would upset the man before her.

Gaius simply smiles at the self-conscious girl. Merlin hadn't shown much interest about such topics. It was quite pleasant to see someone else, particularly a young lady, with a curiosity for the learnings of his profession. He was delighted to be able to discuss his works.

"Can you tell me the medical properties for yarrow?" the physician inquired.

Kara lets out a small breath of relief before she carefully listed the herb's uses.

Listening attentively, Gaius felt a tinge of excitement at the girl's ease of relaying her newly acquired knowledge.

* * *

Rushing through the citadel hallways, Merlin hurried to bring Arthur his midday meal. The prince tended to become irritable whenever his food arrived later than usual. Turning a corner, the boy had to abruptly swerve to avoid a collision with a passerby.

"Gwen!" he exclaimed at the other girl's sudden appearance.

With a hand against her chest, the aforementioned maid tried to steady her rapidly beating heart from the unintended scare. "You're certainly in a rush," she says after a brief respite.

Shrugging apologetically, Merlin continued to keep a firm grip on his serving tray. The boy shuddered to imagine the disaster that would have befallen him if he hadn't avoided the potential collision. Arthur would not have been pleased about the tragic loss of his meal.

With Gwen standing before him, Merlin suddenly comes to a realization. "Just the person I need," he utters as his grip reflexively tightens on the serving tray.

The brunette simply tilts her head in curiosity. "And why is that?" she questions with a raised eyebrow.

"I," Merlin begins with a glance at his surroundings. The warlock steps closer as a precaution before hurriedly continuing in a lowered voice, "Ineedtoborrowsomeofyourclothes."

Gwen hesitates for a moment as she tries to process what Merlin just spilled out in a rush. It takes her a few seconds to decipher what was uttered before she furrows her eyebrows. "What? Why?" she asked incredulously.

"I have a friend," Merlin begins – at that, Gwen certainly gives him a look. However skeptical the introduction, the warlock continues with his explanation. "There was a fire," he recounted before a slight pause, "And she arrived in Camelot with just the clothes off her back."

Merlin had stated nothing but truths, however sparse the details of Kara's circumstances. After all, some things had to remain a secret while under Uther's rule.

"Of course, I'll help," Gwen immediately agrees to her friend's relief.

Smiling widely, Merlin moves in for a hug before remembering the serving tray in his hands. He merely shrugs at the hindrance before settling on vocally thanking the girl.

Gwen easily smiles back in amusement. Afterwards, she jokingly questions, "You do know it's not one size fits all though?"

The warlock simply flushes in embarrassment as he hadn't thought of the possible size differences between the two girls.

"Bring your friend by my house sometime and I'll see what I could do," Gwen offers.

Merlin could only express his gratitude once more. "Thank you!" he exclaims before rushing off to find Arthur. The prince was sure to be fuming within his chambers awaiting the arrival of his meal.

Gwen briefly watches her friend's departure before being startled by the appearance of another.

"What has him in such a good mood?" Morgana inquiries as she approaches from behind with a grin. The girl clearly remembered the previous lengths Merlin had gone through to prove her maid's innocence from suspected sorcery.

Immediately, Gwen notices the gleam in Morgana's eyes and realizes the insinuation of a possible romantic interest from Merlin. She quickly denies the suggestion. "Oh! Oh no. No no no," the maid protests.

Morgana simply smiles wider at the denial. "It's not like that," Gwen attempts once more. Her denial prompts the response of crossed arms and a raised eyebrow from her companion. "Sure, it's not."

"It's really not," Gwen insists before walking off to return to her duties.

"I think the lady doth protests too much," Morgana loudly remarks good-naturedly.

 **[End of Chapter]**

* * *

 **A/N** : Am I evil enough to tease the girls with subtle mentions of one to the other? Yes. Yes, I am.

I apologize for the extensive time it took before the new chapter. It was just one life event after another these past few months. No worries, they were nothing bad.


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